Turning Cremation Ashes into Diamonds - The Ultimate Pet Memorial

One of the hardest parts of owning a pet is the sad reality that one is likely to outlive this wonderful friend. While there are many ways one can grieve for pet loss, there are some very touching ways in which one can memorialize deceased pets so that they may continue to be cherished and remembered long after they are gone.

By far the most glamorous, glittering, and long-lasting pet memorial one could make is a cremation diamond.  Turning your deceased pet into a diamond (or diamonds) involves sending in all or a portion of your pet's ashes to a special service that converts them into diamonds, which can then be kept as keepsakes, turned into jewelry, or set into special memorials.

One of the greatest benefits of choosing diamond cremation as a pet memorial is that it allows one to hold a beloved deceased pet close to oneself in an elegant manner.  While there are necklaces and the like into which one can pour a small bit of ashes, these are messy and hardly attractive as jewelry, whereas diamonds are versatile, classic, and more socially acceptable (a lot of people would be creeped out to see you wearing a vial of ashes).

Diamond cremation is also a good choice in that it creates a long-lasting keepsake that is easy to transport, and can be set in a variety of monuments - from a ring to a necklace to earrings or simply a special monument or box.  Compressing your pet's ashes into a diamond or diamonds allows you to minimize the amount of space your pet's memorial will take up, and will also spare you the trouble of transporting ashes in moves, or risking seeing the ashes spill in the event of an earthquake (or toddler on the loose).

Typically, when one opts for diamond cremation, one first decides how many diamonds one wishes to have made.  This decision will of course be influenced by one's budget and desired final product, and also in the amount of ashes one has.  The company with which you decide to work will give specific measurements needed (in weight) for each diamond, and many provide special shipping containers into which you are to put the required amount of ashes.

Before ashes are sent in, you must also decide what type of diamonds or diamond you would like to create.  Because these diamonds are created in highly controlled conditions, you have influence over the color of diamond you create.  Consider this carefully - perhaps you would want a yellow diamond because it reminds you of your dog's golden coat, etc...

After you send in the ashes, you will have to wait for a certain amount of time as your pet's carbon gets compressed into diamonds.  The amount of time this takes will vary depending on the type of diamond you have requested.

Once the diamond has been created, you can often choose to have it set in a jewelry setting before it is returned to you.  You may also have just the diamond alone returned and have it set by someone else.  

Having your pet's ashes turned into diamonds is not cheap - cremation diamonds typically start at $5,000 a piece and go up from there, though special deals can be found from time to time.

This price is steep, but keep in mind that you are creating an object of true value. What's more, this is a wonderful way to immortalize your beloved pet and remind yourself of good times you had together.

One final note: though this article is about diamond cremation for dogs, one can of course create diamonds from the ashes of a deceased pet cat as well - not to mention a deceased human relative. Most diamond cremation services will create diamonds from any carbon you send in - some even allow to to create diamonds from yourself (don't worry - for these options, you need only send in a lock of hair).

I hope you have learned something new about creating memorials of loved pets. If you have chosen this option for a pet (or family member) and have something to say about it, please feel free to leave a comment below!

(P.S. I am SO going to have my remains turned into diamonds and given as creepy gifts for my surviving relatives)